Danica Patrick, who drives the No. 10 Chevrolet, is in her second season as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and her second with Stewart-Haas Racing and crew chief Tony Gibson. Patrick, who spent seven years driving open-wheel cars in the IndyCar Series (2005-11), has one career top-10 and one career pole in Sprint Cup — both at the 2013 Daytona 500.

Danica Patrick was pleased with her solid performance in Saturday night's Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, one of the toughest tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit.

WHERE SHE STARTED: Qualified 33rd on Friday, her best starting position in three career races at Darlington.

WHERE SHE FINISHED: Scored her fourth top-25 finish in eight races this season, coming home 22nd at the 1.366-mile oval, nicknamed "The Track Too Tough To Tame."

WHAT SHE SAID: "Tonight was such a big improvement for us from where we have been in the past at this track," said Patrick, who made her 54th career Sprint Cup start. "The guys gave me a really drivable GoDaddy Chevy, and we kept making improvements to it all night. I just needed it to turn a little better.

"I'm just really proud of Tony Gibson and all the guys tonight. The guys on pit road did a great job all night long, and really, it was just a good night for me and the entire team. We'll take this and look forward to the next race after a well-deserved break."

HOW IT UNFOLDED: Patrick battled a tight-handling racecar from the drop of the green flag, going down a lap early in the race but keeping herself in position to get back on the lead lap. The team tinkered with the car throughout the night, making a series of trackbar, wedge and tire-pressure adjustments, while also making a shock adjustment to help improve the handling of the racecar. The crew also took advantage of both the wave-around rule and the "Lucky Dog" — the first car one lap down — which allowed Patrick to get back on the lead lap.

"I told Danica to focus on racing the racetrack," said Gibson, "and if you focus on that, you're always going to get a good finish. And that's just what she did tonight."

NEXT RACE: After an off-week, the series returns with the Toyota Owners 400, April 26, at Richmond International Raceway.

LAST TIME: Finished four laps down in 29th after starting 32nd on April 27, 2013.

Danica Patrick waves to her fans after making NASCAR history by becoming the first woman to win a Sprint Cup pole. Patrick qualified first for the 2013 Daytona 500 on Feb. 17.
Kevin Liles, USA TODAY Sports

Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, leads a group of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on Sept 30, 2012.
By Tom Pennington, Getty Images

Danica Patrick waves to fans during driver introductions prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 26, 2012 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
By Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images for NASCAR

Danica Patrick greets fans on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct 12, 2012 in Charlotte, N.C.
By Tyler Barrick, Getty Images for NASCAR